Folk star drops in!

A unique event for folk music lover and songwriters alike is taking place in Exeter.

A folk star and famous songwriter is taking a night off from the busy touring schedule to drop in on a favourite local venue, unpack the songwriting process a little and share thoughts with an intimate audience.

Steve Knightley, one of the Westcountry’s leading songwriters, will give an illustrated talk about his approach to songwriting using songs reflecting a sense of place in Devon at the Cygnet Theatre, Exeter on Monday 9th May.

The title of the event is What do you know, what do you love, what do you see? and is the latest in an occasional series of talks presented by the Devonshire Association Music Section.

Music Section Chairman Paul Wilson said “we feel very lucky to get Steve to do this significant event for us – it’s more of a talk than a gig and a lot of us will be fascinated to be taken behind the creating of some of Steve’s classic songwriting hits.”

Steve Knightley is the songwriting force behind ‘Show of Hands’ described by no less than Peter Gabriel as ‘One of the great English bands.’ Steve has just completed a 150 date tour of the village halls of England. This eighteen month project - ‘Grown your own gig’ has taken his hard-hitting songs from Cornwall to the Borders and back again. Steve says “As a Westcountry songwriter I have written so many songs of seafarers and wreckers, travellers and traders, pirates and smugglers.”

Knightley, who won the Best Original Song category at the 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for his biting, banker-baiting Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed, has a prolific back catalogue of inspired songs including the anthemic, award-nominated Country Life (about the demise of rural living) to Tall Ships (set in a West Country fishing village) and Roots.

The event takes place on Monday 9th May 2016, starting at 7.30pm at The Cygnet Theatre, Friars Gate, Exeter EX2 4AZ. Tickets are £8 or £5 for DA members. There’ll be a break for refreshments, a chance to chat with Steve and learn about the other activities of the DA Music Section. Seats are limited and booking is advisable – to book tickets please visit www.wegottickets.com/DAMS or phone 01271 882 366.